IN DEFENSE OF KEEPING CHICKENS

This is my attempt to get all of the thoughts that I have had over the last number of weeks on this subject together in one place. Since sometime last year, after the loss of my father and brother, sometime before the estate of my father-in-law was finally settled in December, I have been longing for a pet. I know that we can't have a dog right now. Neither is a cat practical for us. The reasons are very involved and concern the fact that my husband, Jay, has been diagnosed with Huntington's Disease. The wants and needs of a cat or a dog are too great for me to care for when I am already caring for Jay, more sometimes than others. I know, to the bystander looking on, Jay seems rather normal. But things are very wrong with some of his neurological and mostly logical processes. The specialist told him back in December of 2011 that he should not be driving, that the progress of his disease already made him a danger to himself and others on the road. I had seen that, but wasn't expecting for him to lose his wheels so soon. So, here he is, stuck at home most of the time. In the winter, unless there was snow to shovel, there was little for him to do. Now that spring is here, he has been riding his bike down to breakfast, almost daily. Even though breakfast out every day is not necessary and can get expensive, I don't begrudge him this routine break from being stuck at home with no human interaction most of the week. He is also able to work in the yard and the garden and is interested and industrious at doing so. 

But the best thing for his morale has been the chickens we obtained on April 6th of this year. We started with six hens. At least, we thought they were all hens. They were pullets when we got them, most were 13 weeks old. So it turned out that our Little Blackie, the Black Australorp, was a rooster. He first crowed at me on Mother's Day. Thanks. I knew that meant he would have to go. With every crow, the poor thing was exalting in life, not knowing he was enforcing his own death warrant. I hate having to put any animal down, much less a young, healthy, happy animal. But it had to be done to keep the neighbors happy. Jay didn't want to do it. He extended the life of the rooster by at least three weekends, trying to defend the rooster. Maybe Blackie really isn't a rooster. Maybe "she" just crowed as a fluke. He wanted to wait and see. And then, so what if he was a rooster? Does that necessarily mean we have to get rid of him? Well...the neighbors.

As it turned out, one of the neighbors had already filed a complaint. But the neighbor didn't just want the rooster gone. He wanted all the chickens to go. The county agent who dropped by on May 21 told us that the neighbor had complained, and that the county had an ordinance. You can't keep a farm animal in Elkhart County unless the land is zoned properly and you have at least three acres of land. Chickens are farm animals. Wait a minute. Did you know they just changed the city ordinance so that you can keep chickens in Elkhart in city limits? You mean we can't keep these chickens, even if we are keeping them as pets? No. Not unless you have three acres, or you can file a special use permit, but it will probably be declined.

We made a trip to the County Zoning Board. They told us all that is involved in filing the special use permit. You have to fill out a form six pages long. You have to include the legal description of your property, pictures of the property, an explanation of why you want the permit, and enclose $150.00 when filing. You have to explain what changes you plan to make to the property in relationship to the project. You have 30 days to file for the permit. It will then be scheduled on the next Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing meeting. Every neighbor who lives within 300 feet of the property will be sent an invitation to come to the public meeting and can argue against the special use permit. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...we have grown so fond of these chickens. Each of the five who remain have a different personality. Queenie, she is called that because she is at the top of the pecking order, is also the friendliest to her humans. Merryweather is a little more shy than Queenie, but still there is a bond. I would have to say she is my favorite. They are both laying eggs now. Queenie is very regular, we get one from her almost daily. Merryweather is more hit and miss. Little Goldie is friendly, but a little more skittish. She is the lightest color of honey gold. I can't wait to see what color of egg she lays. Pluckey is a pluckey little burger. She and Hoolihan are the smallest and they kind of hang out together. Major Margaret Hoolihan, whom we also call "Hot Lips" is the smallest and the most skittish of all of the five. I just thought it would be fun to have a chicken named "Hot Lips". Does a chicken have lips? Last time I saw lips on a chicken, I was looking at the wrong end! (Sorry, but these conversations sometimes come up in my head and I can't help but give them space. Lol.)

Jay thinks the chickens are more fun to watch than TV. And you would not believe how they have changed things around here. Up until the time the county agent came and told us we would have to give them up, I couldn't wait to get home from work at night to see what they had been up to during the day. There was something about sitting out in the back yard in a lawn chair, watching them pecking around in the yard, that was so stress relieving for me. They were doing the same for Jay. It's not like having a dog or a cat that wants you to pet it, or throw it a ball, or sit on your lap. They just calmly go about their business. They challenge each other sometimes, over a treat or a tid bit. Nothing very serious ever comes of it. They face off for a minute and then they go back to what they were doing. When I come out the back door, they come running and flapping to see what I have for them. Their favorite treat is dried mealworms. I buy this for them under the name "Happy Hen Treats" from Big R. I sprinkle them on the ground and Queenie tries to gobble them all up before anybody else can get to them. She jumps straight up in the air at the bag if I don't get them out fast enough for her. It makes me laugh right out loud. I NEED TO LAUGH! Out goes the stress.

Those chickens give Jay something else to focus on. He feeds them and gives them water. He lets them out to run around in the yard. And sometimes they wander into the neighbor's yard. And that is why the neighbor complained. He doesn't want them in his yard. I can sympathize with that. We can build a more permanent pen for the chickens so that they aren't able to wander anywhere they are not wanted. 

We want to talk with all the neighbors who have property that borders ours. We want to find out what are the concerns. If it bothers people that they may wander over there and poop, we will contain them so that doesn't happen. If they are concerned about odors, good animal husbandry practices ensure that there won't be a problem with that. We are composting all of the nitrogen rich poo from the coop to use in the garden. It is mixed with pine shavings from the bedding and when we have a more permanent coop, we will switch over to a sand base which can be scooped like cat litter. We will use the deep litter method which eliminates smells and grows beneficial nematodes that break down the poo quicker into compost. It isn't going to be any worse than having a dog running around pooping in the yard, and dog poop never breaks down into such good fertilizer. 

If the neighbors are concerned about the noise, once again, we have taken care of the noise problem. The rest of the chickens are quiet and don't make even as much noise as a flock of geese or any other birds flying overhead. They are certainly quieter than any yapping dog would be. 

The fact that the hens lay eggs is a side benefit, really. Hens do not lay year round. Some do, especially young ones, but that isn't our focus. Still,  it is a benefit that does not come from a dog or a cat. I can hardly wait to watch them as they go after a grasshopper. I have heard that this is very entertaining to watch. I believe it because I have already witnessed one of my girls go after a fly. So, I guess, that should be listed as another benefit, they kill nuisance bugs. And they are entertaining and therapeutic to watch. 

I know that some people would probably not want other people to have ANY pets at all, if it were up to them. Maybe they would begrudge us a cat or a dog also, but there is no handy ordinance to get rid of cats or dogs. However, there is a handy County ordinance to see that your neighbors can't have pigs, goats, sheep, or chickens. Maybe it's time to change the ordinance, at least where chickens are concerned. Even though our property is zoned for agricultural use, we can't keep a few chickens, not even for pets. I intend to challenge this ordinance. I don't know, yet, what must be done. But, you can bet on it, I am planning to do what it takes to challenge the ordinance.

In the meantime, until a decision is reached on the special use permit, which will be scheduled for July 18th, I am here...WE are here, with our chickens.